Sunday, December 15, 2013

Eucalyptus Blooms ~ quilt in progress

I printed some fabric with a thermofax screen, from one of my earlier sketchbook images of an eucalyptus in bloom.

in progress ~ detail ~ eucalyptus blooms ~ by Jane LaFazio

Then, in my usual style, I cut them up and reassembled them.

in progress ~ detail ~ eucalyptus blooms ~ by Jane LaFazio

in progress ~ detail ~ eucalyptus blooms ~ by Jane LaFazio

in progress ~ detail ~ eucalyptus blooms ~ by Jane LaFazio

You saw the inspiration for this quilt here in my sketchbook. I'm not done with this, but I need to be by early January, so I'll show it to you when I'm done.

Meanwhile, another giveaway! If you know me, you know I'm greatly inspired by the work of English artist, Cas Holmes, author of my favorite quilt book "The Found Object in Textiles." She has a new book out, with her collaborator, Anne Kelly called "Connected Cloth: Creating collabortive textile projects," and I've giving a way a copy! Leave a comment about a theme you'd like to explore in your creative life and I'll choose a winner and post it here on my blog on December 19th.

65 comments:

Amazed by your creativity! I have begun exploring the Fleur-de-lis in my artwork, but have never worked in textiles. I am sure this book would prove to be a great resource in leading me in a new creative direction. Thanks for the opportunity to win one.

Somehow I get so inspired and find that I am not sure of what to do with my pieces half way through a project. Love working with textiles and would love to have a copy of this new book. Thanks for all you do and teach. I know that one day I will be able to take a class with you.Blessings

I'm trying to make some time to do an exploration of trees. I love how may different ways there are to make or to suggest trees. Anyway, trees is my current theme. I love seeing your quilts in progress.

I have recently started what will be only my 3rd quilt ever and my theme for it is funky flowers...nature with a strong influence of whimsy. It's coming along, slowly but surely. Would love to have a chance to check out Connected Cloth. Thanks for the opportunity.peace & love,Barb

I am new to your blog and appreciate the chance to be apart of this giveaway. I love "The Found Object in Textiles" and know I would get so much from "Connected Cloth". I'm a long time artist but new to fabric as art making and although I live at the beach, my inspiration is the desert and archeology. These Eucalyptus blooms are stunning, I will follow along to see the completion of the project! Mary Ann

You and your talent are amazing! Creatively, well, I would like to be able to share how back yard wild life is a micro example of our life on this planet. To be able to explain it gently. I had never thought of quilting to express such a process. Quilting and felting, hmmmm.

I haven't really thought about themes. My goal for 2014 is simply to do more than I have in the past. I still have so much to learn. The first thing that comes to mind is "story." I want my quilts to tell stories. Ultimately the theme of my stories is love -- not particularly romantic love, but phileo/agape love. It sounds very grandiose and what I'll most likely end up doing is creating according to my whim pretty much as I've been doing. I just hope to do more.

thank you Jane for a lovely post, as usual, I would love to explore the "soul" in my artwork, and what is means to be authentic in all I create, for it to come from the very essence of me, I love Cas Holmes work, so it would be a lovely treat to win the book.

Your combo of stitch and print is lovely!Thanks to your online classes, I've begun to sketch, watercolor, and work with some mixed media! I would like to start to incorporate some of my own images into my art quilts!

Jane – I just love how you cut up fabric, paper, etc. and re-assemble it into beautiful works of art! I love Cas Holmes and her book, “The Found Object in Textile Art” and feel so blessed to be taking a 3-day workshop with her next April.

My focus for 2014 will be to incorporate elements from nature into every piece of my artwork, e.g. stones, sticks, leaves, seed pods, flowers, etc. I’m having fun learning how to preserve and use these elements in my pieces.

I'm starting to explore Arthurian Legends at the moment, it's something quite different from my usual work involving trees and things but I am planning to make some small puppets for an exhibition in Summer for which the theme is folk tales, fairy tales, myths and legends, and I've chosen this as my subject :)

I have recently researched the history of the handkerchief and am exploring altering handkerchiefs to demonstrate their uses. I greatly admire Cas Holmes work and have been lucky enough to attend one of her workshops which was great. I have one of her books but would love the new book too. (Hope this doesn't sound too greedy)

thank you, jane, for this opportunity -- i have admired both u and cas for quite a while now. i am heading into jouning and connectivity, not only of vintage and contemporary needlework techniques but also of differing types of fiber-content items. for the first time i actually want to post process progress. even if i don't win the book, i want to thank for the inspiration which artists like you and cas provide. :)

I love your latest work, and am intrigued by the book you plan to give away. I am talking to a blog friend about collaborating on a blog presentation next year, and would love to see what the authors have to say about collaborating on textile projects!

I have her first book and love it, the new one is on my wish list. I've been doing daily and weekly stitching projects for a while now and for the next year i want to explore loosening up a bit and incorporating other materials into my stitching.

My theme for now is "home". Simply home. I am exploring the nooks and crannies of my life, and creating in a variety of media. Setting up a new studio, with room (finally) for my sewing at the same time as other media, so possibilities and access are greatly expanded. Just moved to a new home, unpacking and arranging still but very excited about new inspirations. The book would fit right in!

Thank you for asking, Jane. My theme for the new year is Light. Light and Shadow - light in young eyes and shadow in the elderly. I don't know exactly how that will be expressed, but I intend to pursue the ideas and see where they lead me.

I've been wanting to add stitched textile pieces to my art journal pages in a coherent (rather than hodgepodge) way, and I could a guide to pulling ideas together in an artful way. :) Thanks for the chance!

I've been completely obsessed with poppies since taking a trip to Europe and have added them in mixed media and watercolor, but lately my sewing machine has been calling me. Would to have this inspiration, along with yours, to begin working in fabrics. Thank you so much for the chance!

Thanks so much for sharing your talent and creations with us.... I am new at watercolors and you inspire me...... I want to get into the textile creations and this book would be the best incentive to go ahead and do it. Thanks for the chance to win it !

It might sound silly, but I've been thinking about how to create art quilt representations of potlucks! I just had my yearly holiday Women in Media potluck and was so impressed, once again, by the intelligence, generosity and warmth these women bring to the event.

At this very moment I am exploring doors and doorways, which I can see is a tad random! Printing of every kind, drawings and stitching has led to thinking about creating a screen printed, gypsy-like circle skirt, collaborating print, drawings, digital image and stitch all in one! Phew, Christmas holidays will be fun! As always, lovely to see your work Jane, stunning as always xx

Thanks for offering this great giveaway. Exploring techniques continues to be a part of my journey with textiles...this year I will add to my looking at leaves...drawing them throughout their annual journey from awakening to decomposition, making stamps and other printing process has been the work of this past few years. Now I am adding the use of these leaves for coloring, direct eco printing, and dying cloth and threads.

I've stumbled upon your blog and love the inspiring post that you present. As for themes...hmm...I tend to let others in the groups I belong to select themes and work to the theme they suggest. I am still struggling with selecting a theme for myself and then producing a series from it. Perhaps the book that you so graciously offer to give away will help with that.

My themes run something like organization (yes, I was in the Art Biz class too), Practice, illustration, zentangles and flowers...just the tip of the iceberg. Enjoying your sketchbook work and tutorials. Thank you.

I love your work, Jane, and how you share your process on your blog. Thanks for having a giveaway. I've been fascinated by the milkweeds that grow in our fields and following the stages of their lives.

I am thinking about making some quilts that tell stories. My first story is a vision I have of my mother tying knots on a quilt. The quilt is hanging up and she had a huge needle to poke the yarn through. She was barefoot and a spider came along and I squeezed and she stepped on it with her bare foot. It shocked me. So I journaled about it and by the time I finished I had 17 stories. Now I have to figure out how to do them.

I think I would choose the sea as a theme. It seems I am always drawn to the sea, palm trees and those cute little shorebirds who are always so busy discovering goodies in the sand! I found this rubber stamp that says it all..."Near the sea you forget to count the days"